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CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (also referred to as CSI) is an American police procedural drama television series that premiered on CBS October 6, 2000. The series, originally starring William Petersen and Marg Helgenberger, and later Laurence Fishburne, Ted Danson and Elisabeth Shue, is the first series in the [http://www.wikiwand.com/en/CSI_(franchise) CSI''franchise]. The series concluded on September 27, 2015, with a two-hour TV movie entitled ''Immortality. Plot summary Mixing deduction, gritty subject matter, and character-driven drama, CSI follows Las Vegas criminalists(identified as "Crime Scene Investigators") working for the Las Vegas Police Department (LVPD) (instead of real-life "Crime Scene Analysts" and "[http://www.wikiwand.com/en/Las_Vegas_Metropolitan_Police_Department Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department]" (LVMPD))[1][2] as they use physical evidence to solve murders. The team is originally led by Gil Grissom, CSI supervisor for the grave shift and a forensic entomologist, and his second-in-command, Catherine Willows, a single mother with a cop's instinct. Born and raised in Vegas, Catherine was a stripper before being recruited into law enforcement. Replacing Grissom is D.B. Russell, who has come to the team after heading the Seattle Crime Lab. His number two is Julie Finlay, a CSI III and a blood pattern expert who previously worked with Russell in Seattle. She replaces Willows. Like Catherine, she is a blood-spatter expert with extensive knowledge of criminal psychology. With their team, they are on the case 24/7, scouring the scene, collecting the evidence, and finding the missing pieces that will solve the mystery. Creation Concept and development During the 1990s, Anthony Zuiker caught producer Jerry Bruckheimer's attention after writing his first movie script. Zuiker was convinced that there was a series in the concept; Bruckheimer agreed and arranged a meeting with the head of Touchstone Pictures. The studio's head at the time liked the spec script and presented it to ABC, NBC and Fox executives, who decided to pass. The head of drama development at CBS saw potential in the script, and the network had a pay-or-play contract with actor William Petersen, who said he wanted to do the CSI pilot. The network's executives liked the pilot so much that they decided to include it in their 2000 schedule immediately, airing on Fridays after The Fugitive. Initially it was thought that CSI would benefit from The Fugitive (a remake of the 1960s series), which was expected to be a hit, but by the end of the year 2000, CSI had a much larger audience.[3] Production During its fifteen years in production, CSISECURED an estimated world audience of over 73.8 million viewers (in 2009),[4] commanded, as of the fall of 2008, an average cost of $262,600 for a 30-second commercial,[5] and reached milestone episodes including the 100th ("Ch-Ch-Changes"), the 200th (MASCARA") and the 300th ("Frame by Frame"). CSI spawned three spin-off series: CSI: Miami, CSI: NY, and''CSI: Cyber; a book series; several video games; and an exhibit at Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry. At the time of its cancellation, ''CSI was the seventh longest-running scripted U.S. primetime TV series overall and had been recognized as the most popular dramatic series internationally by the Festival de Télévision de Monte-Carlo, which awarded the series the "International Television Audience Award BEST TELEVISIONDrama Series)" three times.[4][6] CSI became the second most-watched show on American television by 2002,[7]and was later named the most-watched show in the world for the fifth time in 2012. It has won nine awards.[8] CSI: Crime Scene Investigation is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer Television and CBS Productions, which became CBS Paramount Television in the fall of 2006 and CBS Television Studios three years later. Formerly a co-production with the now-defunct Alliance Atlantis Communications, that company's interest was later bought by theINVESTMENT firm GS Capital Partners, an affiliate of Goldman Sachs.[9] CBS acquired AAC's international distribution rights to the program, though the non-US DVD distribution rights did not change (for example, Momentum Pictures continues to own UK DVD rights). The series is currently in syndication, and reruns are broadcast in the U.S. on the Spike and TV Land cable networks. The show has aired in reruns on the USA Network since January 14, 2011.[10] The CSI catalog has been exclusive to the whole NBC Universal portfolio since September 2014.[10] Filming locations CSI was initially shot at Rye Canyon, a corporate campus owned by Lockheed Martin situated in the Valenciaarea of Santa Clarita, California,[11] but after episode 11, filming shifted to the Santa Clarita Studios, originally chosen for its similarity to the outskirts of Las Vegas. Occasionally, the cast would still shoot on location in Las Vegas (the Season 4 DVD set revealed that the episode Suckers was mostly shot near Christmas during December 2003 in Las Vegas, where they filmed a Gothic club scene on location for rent, and in January 2004 some scenes were filmed at Caesars Palace), although primarily Las Vegas was used solely for second unitphotography such as exterior shots of streets.[12] Other California locations include Verdugo Hills High School,UCLA's Royce Hall, Pasadena City Hall, and California State University. While shooting takes place primarily at Universal Studios in Universal City, California, Santa Clarita's surroundings have proven so versatile that CSI''still shot some outdoor scenes there.[13] Music ''CSI's theme song has been, since season one, "Who Are You", written by Pete Townshend with vocals by lead singer Roger Daltrey of The Who. Daltrey made a special appearance in the season seven episode "Living Legend", which also contained many musical references such as the words "Who's next" on a dry erase board in the episode's opening sequence. In certain countries, to avoid music licensing fees, a unique theme was used instead. Throughout the series, music has played an important role; artists like Ozzy Osbourne, The Wallflowers, John Mayer, and Akon (with Obie Trice) have performed onscreen in the episodes "Skin in the Game", "The Accused Is Entitled", "Built To Kill, Part 1", and "Poppin' Tags", respectively. Mogwai is often heard during scenes showing forensic tests in progress, as are Radiohead and Cocteau Twins, but several other artists have lent their music to CSI, including Rammstein and Linkin Park—used heavily in Lady Heather's story arc. Sigur Rós can be heard playing in the background in the episode "Slaves of Las Vegas", The Turtles in "Grave Danger", and Marilyn Manson in "Suckers". A cover of the Tears for Fears song "Mad World", arranged by Michael Andrews and featuring vocals by Gary Jules, was used in the pilot episode and during three episodes of season six ("Room Service", "Killer", and "Way to Go"). Industrial rock band Nine Inch Nails has also been featured multiple times throughout the three series. One episode started with The Velvet Underground's excited rendition of "Sweet Jane" and ended with the downbeat version of Cowboy Junkies' revision of the song. Character David Hodges' good luck has, on occasion, been accompanied by Electric Light Orchestra's "Mr. Blue Sky". This song was first used in the season seven episode "Lab Rats," and last used during season ten's "Field Mice." Cast and characters *CSI Level 3 Supervisor Dr. Gilbert "Gil" Grissom (William Petersen) is a highly respected forensic entomologist with a degree in biology from theUniversity of California. He became a CSI in about 1985 and departed in 2009. He returned to CSI during Immortality, working as an sea-life welfare advocate. He later reunites with Sara, and the series ends with the two sailing off together. (regular: seasons 1–9, Immortality;[14] guest star: seasons 9, 11, 13). *CSI Lab Director[15] Catherine Willows (Marg Helgenberger) is a blood spatter analyst who joined the CSI team as a lab technician and worked her way up to supervisor under Grissom. Following a demotion in Vegas, Catherine is offered a job at the FBI, and departs as a result. During the series finale, a recently-returned Willows is granted the directorship of the crime lab when Sidle departs Las Vegas. (regular: seasons 1–12, Immortality;[14] guest star: season 14). *CSI Level 3 Warrick Brown (Gary Dourdan) is an audio-video analyst. He is a native of Las Vegas with a major in chemistry from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. Warrick is fatally shot in the season eight finale by corrupt Under-sheriff Jeff McKeen. He dies in Grissom's arms. (regular: seasons 1–9). *CSI Level 3 Nicholas "Nick" Stokes (George Eads) graduated from Texas A&M and joined the Dallas Police prior to moving to Vegas. He became assistant night supervisor under Catherine Willows but was later demoted. At the end of season fifteen, Stokes accepts an offer to head the San Diego Crime Lab. (regular: seasons 1–15). *Detective Captain James "Jim" Brass (Paul Guilfoyle) is a former Marine who served in Vietnam. He usually serves as the legal muscle for the CSI team and is the one who does most of the arresting and interrogating of suspects. Brass departs the LVPD in order to rebuild his relationship with his troubled, estranged daughter. Brass is later employed by Catherine as a security officer at the Eclipse casino. (seasons 1–14, Immortality[14]). *CSI Level 3 Sara Sidle (Jorja Fox) is a materials and element analyst who majored in physics at Harvard University. Having previously worked as a San Francisco CSI, Sidle is devoted to her job and will go to almost any lengths to make sure justice is served. Sara is promoted to Director of the crime lab during the series finale, but reconsiders and, leaving Las Vegas, reunites with Grissom. (regular: seasons 1–8, 11–15, Immortality;[14] recurring: seasons 9–10). *CSI Level 3 Gregory "Greg" Sanders (Eric Szmanda) is a DNA specialist who was educated in a private school for gifted students. Graduating Phi Beta Kappa from Stanford, Sanders joined the LVPD after a short stint with the SFPD. He later wrote a book about the history of Vegas. (regular: seasons 3–15,Immortality;[14] recurring: seasons 1–2). *Chief Medical Examiner Dr. Albert "Al" Robbins (Robert David Hall) is the head county coroner of the LVPD. He is married with three children and has prosthetic legs, having lost his own legs whilst trying to dig up a floor at a crime scene. (regular: seasons 3–15, Immortality;[14] recurring: seasons 1–2). *Deputy Chief Sofia Curtis (Louise Lombard) was a CSI who became part of Grissom's team following a demotion from supervisor. Sofia later makes aCAREER switch to Detective, and, rapidly rising through the ranks ultimately becomes the Clark County Deputy Chief. (regular: season 7; recurring: seasons 5–6; guest star: seasons 8, 11). *David Hodges (Wallace Langham) is a lab technician with a B.A. from Williams College; he previously worked in the LAPD crime lab, where his superiors felt he had an attitude problem. Hodges has an uncanny sense of smell, and is able to identify many key chemical compounds by their scent alone. (regular: seasons 8–15, Immortality;[14] recurring: seasons 3–7). *CSI Level 2 Riley Adams (Lauren Lee Smith) is a former St. Louis police officer and a non-conformist who joined law enforcement to rebel against her parents, who are psychiatrists. In the season 10 opener, Catherine finds that Riley has departed the crime-lab, criticizing Catherine's leadership skills. (regular: season 9). *CSI Level 2 Dr. Raymond "Ray" Langston (Laurence Fishburne) comes into contact with the CSI team in the course of a murder investigation and joins the Las Vegas Crime Lab as a level 1 CSI. After murdering a serial killer, Langston moves away, leaving in his wake a devastated crime lab. (regular: seasons 9–11). *DNA Technician Wendy Simms (Liz Vassey) worked in San Francisco, California, before moving to Las Vegas to take the DNA tech position left vacant by Sanders. Hodges complains that Simms thinks she's "too cool" for the lab. She later joins a CSI team in Portland and work in the field. (regular: season 10; recurring: seasons 6–9; guest star: season 11). *Assistant Medical Examiner David "Super Dave" Phillips (David Berman) is the assistant coroner to Chief Medical Examiner Al Robbins. He received his self-styled nickname after saving the life of a victim during an autopsy. Though early in the series, his co-workers tease him about his supposed lack of social experience, he is seen to marry. (regular: seasons 10–15, Immortality;[14] recurring: seasons 1–9). *CSI Level 3 Supervisor Diebenkorn "D.B." Russell (Ted Danson) is a skilled botanist and veteran crime scene investigator. Previously a CSI in Washington State, Russell is hired to "clean house" in the wake of the Langston scandal. He is married and has four children, and a granddaughter. He leaves Las Vegas in the series finale. (regular: seasons 12–15, Immortality[14]). *CSI Level 3 Morgan Brody (Elisabeth Harnois) is a former member of LAPD SID and joins the Las Vegas PD CSI unit in the wake of the Nate Haskell take-down. She is the estranged daughter of the Sheriff Conrad Ecklie and a skilled crime scene analyst. (regular: seasons 12–15, Immortality;[14] guest star: season 11). *CSI Level 3 Asst. Supervisor Julie "Jules" Finlay (Elisabeth Shue), known as "Finn", is a blood spatter specialist who worked for Russell in Seattle and is hired in Vegas following an anger management course. She was attacked by a serial killer and left in a car trunk. In the series finale, it is revealed that Finn died as a result of her injuries. (regular: seasons 12–15). *DNA Technician Henry Andrews (Jon Wellner) is the toxicology specialist of the Las Vegas Forensics Laboratory, who mainlyDEALS with identifying toxic substances which have undergone human consumption. He later re-trains as a DNA technician. (regular: seasons 13–15, Immortality;[14] recurring: seasons 5–12). Episodes As of February 15, 2015, 335 original episodes of the series have aired. Crossovers *"Who and What" – When a murder victim in Las Vegas matches the profile of a child who was abducted in New York, Grissom works with FBI agent Jack Malone to track down the killer in the Without a Trace episode "Where and Why". *"The Lost Girls" – Langston searches for a girl being held hostage by human traffickers he had been tracking in the CSI: Miami episode "Bone Voyage" and the CSI: NY episode "Hammer Down". *"In Vino Veritas" – Mac Taylor comes to Las Vegas to see his girlfriend, only to discover she's missing, so he and D.B. head to New York to find her in the''CSI: NY'' episode "Seth and Apep". Reception Public reaction CSI has often been criticized for the level and explicitness of graphic violence, images, and sexual content. The CSI series and its spin-off shows have been accused of pushing the boundary of what is considered acceptable viewing for primetime network television.[16] The series had numerous episodes on sexual fetishism and other forms of sexual pleasure (see especially the recurring character of Lady Heather, a professional dominatrix). CSI has been ranked as among the worst prime-time shows for family viewing by the Parents Television Council nearly every season since its second,[17][18][19][20] being ranked the worst show for family prime-time viewing after the 2002–2003[21] and 2005–2006[22] seasons. The PTC has also targeted certain CSI episodes for its weekly "Worst TV Show of the Week" feature.[23][24][25][26][27][28] In addition, the episode "King Baby" aired in February 2005, which the PTC named the most offensive TV show of the week,[28] also led the PTC to start a campaign to file complaints with the FCC with the episode;[29] to date, nearly 13,000 PTC members complained to the Federal Communications Commission about the episode.[30] The PTC has also asked Clorox to pull their advertisements from CSI and CSI: Miami because of the graphically violent content on those programs.[31] A grassroots campaign started on August 2007, upon rumors of Jorja Fox leaving the show,[32] organized by the online forum Your Tax Dollars At Work. Many of its nineteen thousand members donated to the cause, collecting over $8,000 for gifts and stunts targeted at CBS executives and CSI's producers and writers. Some stunts included a wedding cake delivery to Carol Mendelsohn, 192 chocolate-covered insects with the message "CSI Without Sara Bugs Us." toNaren Shankar and a plane flying several times over the Universal Studios of Los Angeles with a "Follow the evidence keep Jorja Fox on CSI" banner.[33][34]Other protests included mailing the show's producers a dollar, in order to save Fox's contract "one dollar at a time". By October 16, 2007, according to the site's tally, more than 20,000 letters with money or flyers had been mailed to the Universal Studios and to CBS headquarters in New York from forty-nine different countries since the campaign started on September 29, 2007.[35][36][37] Fox and Mendelsohn chose to donate the money to CASA, a national association that supports and promotes court-appointed advocates for abused or neglected children.[38] On September 27, 2007, after CSI's season eight premiered, a miniature model of character Gil Grissom's office (which he was seen building during season seven) was put up on eBay. The auction ended October 7, with the prop being sold for $15,600; CBS donated the proceeds to the National CASA Association.[39] Law enforcement reaction Another criticism of the show is the depiction of police procedure, which some[40] consider to be decidedly lacking in realism.[41] For instance, the show's characters not only investigate ("process") crime scenes, but they also conduct raids, engage in suspect pursuit and arrest, interrogate suspects, and solve cases, which falls under the responsibility of uniformed officers and detectives, not CSI personnel. Although some detectives are also registered CSIs, this is exceedingly rare in actual life. It is considered an inappropriate and improbable practice to allow CSI personnel to be involved in detective work as it would compromise the impartiality of scientific evidence and would be impracticably time-consuming. Additionally, it is inappropriate for the CSIs who process a crime scene to be involved in the examination and testing of any evidence collected from that scene. CSI shares this characteristic with similar British drama series, Silent Witness. However, not all law-enforcement agencies have been as critical; many CSIs have responded positively to the show's influence and enjoy their new reputation. In the UK, Scenes of Crime Officers (SOCO) now commonly refer to themselves as CSIs. Some constabularies, such as Norfolk, have even gone so far as to change the name of the unit to Crime Scene Investigation.[42] Also, recruitment and training programs have seen a massive increase in applicants, with a far wider range of people now interested in something previously regarded as a scientific backwater.[43] ''CSI'' effect The "[http://www.wikiwand.com/en/CSI_effect CSI effect]" is a reference to the alleged phenomenon of CSI raising crime victims' and jury members' real-world expectations of forensic science, especially crime scene investigation and DNA testing.[44] This is said to have changed the way many trials are presented today, in that prosecutors are pressured to deliver more forensic evidence in court.[45] Victims and their families are coming to expect instant answers from showcased techniques such as DNA analysis and fingerprinting, when actual forensic processing often takes days or weeks, with no guarantee of revealing a 'smoking gun' for the prosecution's case. District attorneys state that the conviction rate in cases with little physical evidence has decreased, largely due to the influence of CSI on jury members.[46] Some police and district attorneys have criticized the show for giving members of the public an inaccurate perception of how police solve crimes. However, the evidence cited in support of the supposed effect is mainly anecdotes from law enforcement personnel and prosecutors. Little empirical examination of the effect has been done to date, and the one study published to date suggests the phenomenon may be an urban myth.[47] Franchise From CSI, CBS produced a franchise starting with, in 2002, a spin-off entitled CSI: Miami. Set in Miami, Florida, and starring David Caruso, and Emily Procter, Miami would later launch CSI: NY in 2004. Starring Gary Sinise, Sela Ward, and Melina Kanakaredes, NY was set in New York City and was based upon the idea that "Everything is Connected". In 2015 a fourth CSI series, entitled CSI: Cyber and starring Patricia Arquette, and Ted Danson, was created. It focuses on the FBI's elite Cyber Crime Division. The CSI series exists within the same fictional "universe" as fellow CBS police-dramas Without a Trace and''Cold Case. A number of comic books, video games, and novels based on the series have been made. CSI: The Experience In 2006, The Fort Worth Museum of Science and History developed a traveling museum exhibit called "CSI: The Experience". On May 25, 2007, Chicago's Museum of Science and Industry was the first museum to host the exhibit, and the exhibit's opening featured stars from the TV series.[48] There is also a supporting website designed for the benefit of people who cannot visit the exhibit,[49] designed by Rice University's Center for Technology in Teaching & Learning and Left Brain Media.[50] "CSI: The Experience" also has an interactive attraction at the MGM Grand Las Vegas in Las Vegas, and there is also an interactive attraction at the Mall of America in Minneapolis, Minnesota.[51] Ratings Nielsen ratings Seasonal rankings (based on average total viewers per episode) of ''CSI: Crime Scene Investigation on CBS. :Note: U.S. network television seasons generally start in late September and end in late May, which coincides with the completion of the May sweeps. DVR ratings The show ranked number three in DVR playback (3.07 million viewers), according to Nielsen prime DVR lift data from September 22 to November 23, 2008.[67] Accolades This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (August 2010) Merchandise DVD releases This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (February 2014) Region 1 The U.S. box sets are released by CBS DVD (distributed by Paramount), while the Canadian box sets are released by Alliance Atlantis (distributed by Universal Studios). The first season DVD release differs from all subsequent seasons in that it is available only in 1.33:1 or 4:3 full frame, rather than the subsequentaspect ratio of 1.78:1 or 16:9 widescreen, which is the HDTV standard aspect ratio. The first season is also the only DVD release of the series not to feature Dolby Digital 5.1 surround audio, instead offering Dolby Digital stereo sound. The Blu-ray disc release of Season One is 7.1 DTS sound and 1.78:1 widescreen. Regions 2 and 4 Regions 2 and 4 releases have followed a pattern whereby each season is progressively released in two parts (each of 11 or 12 episodes [except for Season 8, in which part 1 contained 8 episodes and the Without a Trace crossover and part 2 contained the remaining 9 episodes] with special features split up) before finally being sold as a single box set. After having been almost 12 months behind region 2 releases after the first four series, region 4 releases are speeding up, with distributors simply releasing season five as a complete box set. Region 2 * = Re-released in slimline full-season packaging. Seasons 1–8 were released in 2 parts between 2003 and 2009. Region 4 Blu-ray releases CBS Home Entertainment (distributed by Paramount) released the first season on High Definition Blu-ray disc on May 12, 2009.[72] Unlike its DVD counterpartCSI: Crime Scene Investigation#DVD releases, this release is in its original 16:9 widescreen format and feature 7.1 surround sound. Features on the Season 1 BR set are also in High Def. Season 10 was released on November 18, 2011 in Region B. Like the Season 1 Blu-ray release, it features a 16:9 widescreen transfer, but it only has DTS-HD 5.1 sound.[73] Season 9 was released on September 1, 2009. Like the Season 1 Blu-ray release, it features a 16:9 widescreen transfer with DTS-HD Master Audio 7.1 surround sound. Extras include commentaries, featurettes and BD-Live functionality.[74] Season 8 was released on Blu-ray on May 29, 2009 in Region B.[75] Other releases CSI has also been released as a series of mobile games. In Fall 2007, CBS teamed up with game developer Gameloft to bring CSI to mobile phones. The first of the series to be published was CSI: Miami. The game features actual cast members such as Horatio Caine, Alexx Woods and Calleigh Duquesne who are trying to solve a murder in South Beach with the player's assistance.[76] The game is also available for download on various iPod devices.[77] In spring 2008, Gameloft and CBS released "CSI: Crime Scene Investigation – The Mobile Game" which is based on the original series in Las Vegas. This game introduces the unique ability to receive calls during the game to provide tips and clues about crime scenes and evidence. As for the storyline, the game developers collaborated with Anthony E. Zuiker (the series creator) to ensure that the plot and dialogue were aligned with the show's style.[78] Books *''True Stories of CSI: The Real Crimes Behind the Best Episodes of the Popular TV Show'' (published August 2009) – Katherine Ramsland follows the evidence and revisits some of the most absorbing episodes of the phenomenally popular C.S.I. television franchise, and explores the real-life crimes that inspired them. She also looks into the authenticity of the forensic investigations recreated for the dramatizations, and the painstaking real-life forensic processEMPLOYED in every one of the actual cases—from notorious mass-murderer Richard Speck, through the massacre of Buddhist monks in an Arizona Temple, to a baffling case of apparent spontaneous combustion. Comic books *In 2003, comic book publisher IDW Publishing began releasing a series of one-shots & miniseries based on all three CSI series, with the majority being based on the original Vegas-based series. *In September 2009, Tokyopop released a manga version of CSI written by Sekou Hamilton and drawn by Steven Cummings. It centers around five teenagers working at the Las Vegas Crime Lab as interns as they try to solve a murder case of a student at their high school, which leads to a shocking discovery. Grissom and Catherine are seen now and then, as well as other CSI characters. Category:CSI: Crime Scene Investigation Category:2000 American television series debuts Category:2015 American television series endings Category:2000s American television series Category:2010s American television series Category:American crime television series Category:American drama television series Category:CBS network shows Category:Channel 5 (UK) television programmes Category:English-language television programming Category:Nielsen ratings winners Category:Police procedural television series Category:Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble in a Drama Series Screen Actors Guild Award winners Category:Television series by Alliance Atlantis Category:Television series by CBS Television Studios Category:Television shows set in the Las Vegas Valley Category:ABS-CBN Sports+Action shows Category:Television shows filmed in Santa Clarita, California Category:Television series shot in Los Angeles